ZANU PF Needs New Presidential Candidate To Win 2023 Elections - Jim Kunaka

Former ZANU PF activist, Jim Kunaka, says the ruling party risks losing the 2023 elections if it does not reform and deploy a new candidate to replace President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Speaking to the NewsHawks recently, Kunaka said ZANU PF is failing to reform itself and if the youths do not speak up, the old guard will destroy the former liberation movement. Said Kunaka:

If ZANU PF wants to win the 2023 elections, they should bring everybody who is outside back to the party without any condition and allow everyone to contest for any position of interest.

I last heard the President (Mnangagwa) say let bygones be bygones, but why are they not allowing those who are in exile to come back to the country, allow them back in the party, and allow them to contest?

Several former ZANU PF officials who allegedly belonged to the G40 faction were expelled from the party soon after the 2017 military coup that ended the then president Robert Mugabe’s long reign.

Those who went into exile fearing arrest include former ministers Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo, Walter Mzembi, Patrick Zhuwao and Godfrey Gandawa.

Kunaka believes ZANU PF’s top hierarchy has lost direction and the party has to bring in young people into the politburo to have a chance of winning future elections. He said:

The ruling party has to be intact to allow them to win the 2023 elections. These old men are tired.

They no longer think the economy is shrinking on daily basis and people are tired in this country.

Just imagine, you print a ZW$100 note and it doesn’t buy half a loaf of bread. Where are we going as a country?

ZANU PF has lost direction now. They can’t even follow what they fought for.

Look at the ZANU PF hierarchy now. All of them are in their 70s and 80s in the politburo.

ZANU PF is not reforming itself. Why not bring in fresh minds and young people into the politburo?

Kunaka together with some senior ZANU PF officials was ousted from the party at the ZANU PF 6th National People’s Congress in 2014 for alleged links with the Gamatox faction that had allegedly coalesced around then Vice President Joyce Mujuru.

More: The NewsHawks